in the city
by glueskin
Summary: xion and naminé converse in a café; riku has apologies to make and vanitas overheats. it's a fine day to be in the city.


xion cant pilot for shit and nobody is ever letting them behind the wheel of a gummiship again. whoever thought letting them learn from axel was a good idea...

anyway lol yes i wrote another kh 60 min prompt...tonights was "travel", which is very broad and i wasnt sure what to do, but i figured it out eventually. ive wanted to write all four of the lads together for a while now, so i did

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San Fransokyo is a bustling city unlike any Xion has seen before. It instills them with a sense of déjà vu, a faint feeling of familiarity rising in them when they see a report about Big Hero 6 on the news.

"Do you think they're okay?" Naminé worries across from them. They're in a café together, escaping the city's humidity in the cozy atmosphere of an air conditioned shop full of iced drinks and sweets.

Xion's discovered they're rather partial to coffee. It's another difference between them and Sora, another thing that sets them apart, and Xion hates the petty feeling of relief that comes with discovering such minor separations.

"They're fine," Xion says casually, stirring their drink with its straw. Riku—that is, Replica—needed to make some apologies and although Naminé and Xion are _technically _meant to be monitoring them, Riku is fine.

He had the other Riku to vouch for him, after all, so it's mostly Vanitas they need to 'monitor', though Xion and Naminé both think such a mindset does more harm than good.

"Worst case scenario is Riku has to apologize for Vanitas' mouth on top of everything he did before," Xion adds, and Naminé smiles.

It's a small thing, a gentle curve of her mouth, and it makes something in Xion's chest ache pleasantly. One of her small, thin-fingered hands is resting on the table, the other curved around her own iced tea, and Xion has to fight the urge to reach out and place their hand on hers.

It's such a new thing. Xion is sure Naminé feels the same, but they also aren't _sure_. It's scary in a way that giving themself up to Sora hadn't been—scary in a way that's somewhat thrilling, making their heart beat fast in their chest.

"You're probably right. I'm worrying for nothing," Naminé agrees, sounding a bit rueful over her own nature.

"It's good to worry," Xion assures her. "Just not too much, I think. At least, Axel said something like that once."

Back in the day when Xion had almost driven themself crazy over not being able to summon their keyblade, so the context was a bit different, but the principal is the same.

Naminé's smile stretches just a little bit wider and Xion wonders, desperately, what it might feel like to kiss her.

"Oh!" Naminé sits up a bit straighter in her seat, peering behind Xion as the café door swings open with a chime of its bells. "Speak of the devil," she murmurs, still smiling, and Xion forces themself to turn and look.

Riku looks fine, as expected, steering Vanitas towards the counter to order something. His dark hair is sticking to his face with sweat, hands shoved into the pockets of his dark hoodie.

"He looks like an overheated puppy," Xion mutters, and Naminé's startled giggle makes warmth explode in their chest.

Vanitas turns to look at them, squinting suspiciously, his eyes dim in the bright of the day. He has some kind of sixth sense for anyone talking about him, Xion swears, but all they do is smile and wave a hand as if they hadn't just compared him to a puppy.

God, he would kill them if he heard.

He scowls, but nods stiffly and looks away as if embarrassed to be seen greeting a friend.

Xion turns back to Naminé, who is stirring the ice in her tea and covering her smile with her other hand, which is…

_So _cute. Xion has to swallow the urge to say as much out loud. Or shout it.

Riku and Vanitas join them before long, Riku sliding into the booth next to Naminé and Vanitas sitting himself next to Xion but so close to the edge he may as well be ready to book it at any moment.

Xion wants to reach out and tug him closer, but they know such a gesture would be unwanted. If Vanitas is comfortable on the edge, well, that's fine.

"How did things go?" Xion asks, turning their gaze to Riku, who is examining his smoothie critically.

"It went fine," he says after a moment, lowering the glass. "I was almost attacked, but then they realized I wasn't here to make a scene."

"They thought he was the original," Vanitas grumbles, stirring his own drink—iced coffee, like Xion had ordered, but darker. "The one _Sora _had apparently mentioned to them before."

"It's fine," Riku says, although it's clearly not fine judging by the crease in his forehead. "It was...easier to let them think that than explain."

Naminé touches his shoulder, briefly, her smile softening with sympathy. She doesn't say anything, but Riku gives her a fleeting smile in return, and she drops her hand.

"And you, Vanitas?" Xion asks, and Vanitas glances at them, brow furrowed.

"And me, what? This was about him," he says, jerking his head towards Riku. Xion rolls their eyes.

"I _mean _in general. Is it too hot out there for you? We can go back to Radiant Garden after this if you want."

Xion doesn't hesitate to make the offer, doesn't let themself glance towards Naminé and Riku to make sure they're okay with it—if Vanitas isn't comfortable, Xion knows they'll agree anyway.

Vanitas still looks surprised by the consideration, though. He clenches his jaw, glancing away. Under the collar of his hoodie Xion can just barely make out the shadowy substance that covers his skin—or maybe it _is _his skin—and they wonder if it makes the heat worse.

"It's...fine," Vanitas gets out after a moment, forcing the words out through his teeth.

"Are you sure?" Riku asks across the table, and Vanitas glares at him until he lifts his hands in surrender. "I'm just making sure."

"You wanted to go to the museum, didn't you?" Vanitas mutters, looking down at his drink. "It'll be cool in there, anyway."

Xion smiles to themself, Vanitas does have his moments of consideration; Naminé, especially, had been excited about the art museum when she heard about it.

"Then we'll go ahead as planned," Xion says, glancing at Naminé and Riku.

"Right. But afterwards, I'm piloting the ship back," Riku adds, and Naminé coughs to hide her laugh. Vanitas doesn't bother.

"I'm not _that _bad," they huff, slouching back into their seat. Axel said they were a _great _pilot.

"You really are," Vanitas says, contradicting their thoughts.

When Xion looks beseechingly at Naminé, they only find betrayal as she diplomatically says, "Well, they're not wrong."

Xion groans, sulkily turning toward Vanitas, who has gradually inched himself closer into the booth. They drop their forehead onto his shoulder unthinkingly and he startles but doesn't move.

"At least Axel has faith in my skills," they say pitifully, and Riku and Vanitas both make a sound that says Axel's faith in this regard isn't worth much.

Despite their words, though, Xion is smiling. Vanitas' hoodie is soft under their forehead. That he hasn't shoved them away says a lot about them, now, and about him.

That he's willing to make a trip like this with them says just as much.


End file.
